Story by Tendai Munengwa
GOVERNMENT has appealed to farmers and other stakeholders to comply with the national declaration of war on the January disease to save the country’s national herd.
Government has taken the fight against theileriosis, also known as January Disease, to another level, as the disease continues to wreak havoc in several parts of the country.
Chief Director of Veterinary Services, Dr Josphat Nyika says the war against the outbreak calls for concerted efforts on the part of farmers to religiously follow the dipping policy.
“Government has come up with a number of interventions with effective dipping using the 5:5:4 policy being the most recommended,” he said.
He revealed that government has adequate vaccines and tick grease, which have already been dispatched to all affected areas.
“We have adequate chemicals from tick grease, palony and dipping chemicals. We have been dispatching them and, in the Midlands Province, we have our teams carrying awareness campaigns to educate farmers on the importance of dipping,” he added.
Since the outbreak of the January disease over 400 cattle have succumbed to it, with the latest reports indicating that the figures are going down since government intervention.
